Abstract
Aims
The numbers of patients with influenza-like illnesses increase during influenza outbreaks. A study was undertaken to distinguish community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) from influenza based on clinical signs and symptoms.
Methods
This retrospective study investigated patients with positive results in the rapid influenza antigen test and those diagnosed with CAP during an influenza A/H1N1 pandemic. Significant factors for predicting risk for CAP within 48 hrs from onset and at diagnosis were selected by multiple regression analysis.
Results
Within 48 hrs of onset and at diagnosis, age, sputum and coarse crackles significantly increased the risk of CAP whereas sick contact, sore throat, and rhinorrhoea significantly decreased the risk of CAP. Duration of illness, sputum, dyspnoea, chest pain, and coarse crackles also significantly increased the risk of CAP at diagnosis.
Conclusions
CAP differed somewhat from influenza even within 48 hrs of onset and the differences became even more evident thereafter.
Keywords: primary care, pulmonary diseases, differential diagnosis, signs, symptoms, community-acquired pneumonia, influenza A/H1N1
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Footnotes
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in relation to this article.